Best of Times, Worst of Times
by dlphnmolly
Summary: Isabella Swan, orphan, is starting her freshmen year of college. Her upbringing in foster and group homes, leaves her jaded and naive about establishing friendships and relationships. With a bronze haired junior hold the key to her heart? M for later chapters AU, All human, Bella x Edward


I own nothing. All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The story idea belongs to the voices in my head

Chapter 1.

I drove myself to school for my freshmen year of college. Unlike my assigned roommate, I didn't have the teary eyed parents who were reluctant to let go. I didn't have the older brother helping to set up my loft bed. I just had myself, my old red truck and some boxes of clothes.

My name is Bella Swan and for all intents and purposes I am an orphan. My mother died in a car wreck when I was six and after my dad just couldn't hack it with me anymore. His alcoholism and financial strife led to me bouncing to and from foster homes throughout my childhood. Charlie was an unfit parent and I was an unfit child. So I was taken away and put in the system.

The system is a terrible place. I had a roof over my head, and food on the table but I didn't have the thing a young kid needs most, love. I wanted to go back to Charlie and be with the only person left in this world who had a scrap of love for me. I was used to scraps. I could make it work. I rebelled against my various foster parents and even spent some time in a group home for a time. That was the scariest.

Things were a mess for me until my last foster mom, Sharon Cope, took me in. I was sixteen and in pretty bad shape. I had run away from the group home back to took six hours of hitchhiking and walking to make it, but when I got to his house it was boarded up. The tiny shack in the woods that was all I even knew of childhood was gone. I had no idea where Charlie was or what to do, but it was raining, so I pried one of the boards off a window and climbed back in.

My house was not my house anymore, it was filthy and looked as if it had been empty for months. The furniture was gone but I was so tired, I curled up on the filthy floor and went to sleep crying quietly for my missing father. The next morning a police officer showed up and startled me awake. Apparently my last home had called the authorities, and since I had ran here before, they came looking. I didn't bother running. I had nothing left here.

Sharon later explained to me that Charlie had lost the house and was living on the streets for a while before he got desperate. He tried to rob a liquor store at gunpoint and got arrested. He was now serving 15 years at Washington State penitentiary. I haven't had the courage to visit. He didn't write so neither did I. I didn't think it was possible to hate someone you loved so much but that was where I stood.

Once I got some solidity in my life, I was able to focus on school and get my grades up. I realized thanks to Sharon, that I could make plans for my future. I had never even dreamed of it before. I only worried about the day to day. Anything beyond that was too dangerous. My senior year I applied to colleges. I couldn't get into any ivy league level schools with my grades but I managed to get into Washington State University in Spokane. I was going to college and I was going to be a teacher someday. As long as I could keep my scholarship.

There was no way I would be able to afford college without one. Sharon had been a foster mom for a long time and she told me about an opportunity for a scholarship for socially and economically disadvantaged youth. A private donor selected one youth in the state of Washington each year and gave them a chance at a better life. It was humbling and embarrassing to write the essay about my upbringing but it was worth it when I received the Cullen award. I would have 4 years of tuition, room and board covered as long as I kept up a 3.5 GPA.

So here I was in Spokane, my first time on my own even though I had been emotionally on my own for so long. I had unpacked all three boxes of mine and decided not to hover while my roommate finished setting up her side of the room with her family. I excused myself to go wander around campus for a while.

My roommate was gorgeous. Her name was Rosalie and she had the typical blonde bombshell look. I tried not to see the disappointment in her eyes when we met. I was far too plain. Mousy brown hair and boring brown eyes. I never much paid attention to how I looked because I had so much else on my mind. Meeting

Rosalie made me wish I had read a Cosmo or something to know what an 18 year old freshmen was supposed to look like.

As I wandered campus on a rare sunny day, I contemplated what this change would mean for me. This was an opportunity for a fresh start. I no longer had to worry about being labeled the foster kid or the poor kid because no one here knew me. It was a lonely but exciting feeling.

When I returned to the dorm, Rosalie's family had left. She had changed from jeans and a t-shirt into a very cute blue sundress. It showed her long legs and brought out her eyes. She was going out and apparently wanted me to join.

"Classes don't start until next week. Come out with me." Rosalie pleaded. "I know of a great frat party that my boyfriend is hosting."

"You have a boyfriend?" I asked, though with looks like hers, why wouldn't she?

"Yeah. He's a sophomore and we have been together for years." She gushed. She really did seem to light up when she spoke about him. "Come with me! It will be fun!" she begged.

"Okay, but I don't have anything to wear." I replied glumly. My plaid flannel shirts and jeans would be a bit to dressed down for the occasion.

"You can borrow anything of mine. In fact, I have a maxi dress that is way too short for me. I bet it would look great on you." She said as she walked to her closet and pulled out a long red dress. It was very pretty and not something I would usually wear but this was a new era for Bella so I decided to embrace it. I got changed and we headed out in Rosalie's red Mercedes.

"This is the nicest car I have ever been in." I said quietly.

"Thanks. It used to be my moms but she got a new one so I got this. My brother Jasper wanted it but, I am the baby and I usually get my way" She winked at me.

"What are you studying?" I asked her.

"I am here to get my business degree. I don't exactly know what my concentration will be but it will likely beMarketing or Sales. Like I said, I can be very persuasive." We shared a laugh at that and it felt good. We might actually get along. I might actually make a friend. A real friend.

When we pulled up to the fraternity house, the party was already roaring. Rosalie parked and grabbed my arm when we got out of the car.

"Don't leave me alone in there." I pleaded with her as she hurriedly walked to the front door.

"Sure thing Bella. Sisters before misters right?" She smiled at me. Before we could even knock on the door, it whipped open and a huge man cheered for Rosalie. He was at least six feet tall and had the build of a pro wrestler or something. The only thing that wasn't menacing about him was his smiling face which showed the dimples in his cheeks.

"Rose! Baby I am so glad you are here!" He grabbed her into a hug and lifted her right up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and they kissed for an inappropriate amount of time. He set her down and glanced to me.

"And who is this lil bit?" He smiled at me.

"Bella. I am Rosalie's roommate."

"Nice to meet you Bella. Mi casa es su casa. Beer is in the keg in the kitchen. Dancing is in the main hall. Make good choices." He called to me as he quickly pulled Rosalie towards the stairs.

"So much for sisters before misters," I muttered to myself before heading to the kitchen. Old Bella didn't drink. She felt like it was an insult to Charlie to do so. New Bella, college Bella, would give it a shot. It wasn't like I had to get drunk. I would just have one beer. Cest la vie I thought as I filled a red solo cup with the cheap frothy liquid.

Dancing was so not my thing, but there was a TV room where people were watching college football so I decided to go there and stand by the back wall. I didn't really care about sports but it was dark in the room, so I figured I wouldn't stand out too much. I stood and tried to watch the game but I mostly watched the people. They all seemed to be having such a great time. I felt so on the outside and I was sick of it. So I decided right then and there, I was going to get drunk. And I did.

"Yo lady in red!" A guy shouted to me as I spun around on the dance floor. He came right up to me and smiled. His eyes looked hazey and I figured he was probably as drunk as I was.

"Hh-hey." I slurred back. He seemed excited by this.

"My name's Mike. Mike Newton. You?"

"Bellllaa."

"Bella you are an excellent dancer" he sarcastically laughed.

"I know! I am terrrrible!" I shouted over the music. "But my friend Rosalie left me and the music is soooo good." I honestly had no idea what song was on. I was just having such a blissful time. Mike and I danced together a bit but all I really remembered was his hands on me and all over me and I saw flashes of my past.

"Miiike stop" I wanted to sound more forceful but I think I was too dizzy at this point.

"Come on Bella, lets go upstairs and have some real fun" he said as he grabbed me by the waist and dragged my towards the stairs.

"Nno thanks." I hiccuped trying to pull away. My internal alarms were going off but I couldn't get my boy to respond like I wanted it to.

Mike was too strong for my in my inebriated state and I could feel myself being pulled closer to the stairs. I knew this was bad news and I tried to shout but the music was too loud. I doubted anyone could hear.

I gave a hard yank at the same time that someone intervened. A tall bronze haired beautiful man pulled Mike's hand from my wait right when I tugged. I fell back and landed on the floor with a thump. I looked up to see the mans fist collide with Mike's face. Mike clutched his nose which was now bleeding profusely.

"What the fuck man?" Mike shouted.

"I believe no means no. No matter how drunk the person might be. I suggest you leave before I have to really teach you a lesson" he calmly replied.

Mike looked fearful at that statement and quickly left the room. My hero looked down at me with piercing green eyes and a frown on his face. I couldn't tell if it was a look of concern or disgust.

"Thanks. For. Helping. Me." I choked out slowly so I sounded less trashed than I really was. "I'm Bellllaaaaa..." I trailed off, head spinning.

"I'm Edward and you must be some kind of idiot for getting this shit faced at a frat party-" he said scowling down at me. He looked furious. And that look was the last thing I saw before I passed out on the frat house dance floor...

Let me know what you think! Hoping to post a chapter a week, maybe quicker. I don't have a beta yet so if anyone is interested let me know please!


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